Optical assembly for detecting an abnormality of an organ or tissue and method
First Claim
1. An optical device for detecting an abnormality in an organ or tissue in its early stages of growth comprising:
- a light source assembly;
contact means including a portion for contacting a surface of an organ or tissue and capable of exerting a predetermined pressure thereon;
first means for transmitting light from the light source assembly to the tissue or organ that will be effected by the predetermined pressure;
means for measuring the light intensity reflected from the organ or tissue;
second means for transmitting reflected light from the tissue or organ that will be effected by the predetermined pressure to the means for measuring the light intensity;
means for determining a first measurement of light reflected from the organ or tissue with approximately no pressure applied and for determining a second measurement at a predetermined pressure, andmeans for comparing the first and second measurements to detect whether an abnormality exists in the organ or tissue as a function of the difference in measured reflected light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of detecting an abnormality of cell growth in an organ or tissue of a body and various optical assemblies for accomplishing the same. The present invention has discovered that diagnosis of incipient abnormal tissue growth such as cancer can be accomplished in vivo by exerting a predetermined pressure on the suspected tissue or organ and by subsequently comparing the relative effect on reflection from or light absorption of the tissue or organ. An optical probe can be utilized for scanning the suspected tissue or organ and recording an initial reflecting characteristic. Subsequently the tissue or organ is placed under a predetermined pressure to provide a second reflection characteristic. A comparison of the two signals will permit a diagnosis of the condition of the tissue or organ. As can be appreciated, a fiber optic bundle can be used for the optical probe and a data processor can automatically compute either the difference or the ratio of the two signals with a corresponding display or printing of the information. Alternative embodiments are disclosed herein.
162 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An optical device for detecting an abnormality in an organ or tissue in its early stages of growth comprising:
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a light source assembly; contact means including a portion for contacting a surface of an organ or tissue and capable of exerting a predetermined pressure thereon; first means for transmitting light from the light source assembly to the tissue or organ that will be effected by the predetermined pressure; means for measuring the light intensity reflected from the organ or tissue; second means for transmitting reflected light from the tissue or organ that will be effected by the predetermined pressure to the means for measuring the light intensity; means for determining a first measurement of light reflected from the organ or tissue with approximately no pressure applied and for determining a second measurement at a predetermined pressure, and means for comparing the first and second measurements to detect whether an abnormality exists in the organ or tissue as a function of the difference in measured reflected light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An optical device for detecting an abnormality of an organ or tissue in its early stages of growth comprising:
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a first light source means of a predetermined light intensity; a second contact means including a transparent portion capable of contacting a surface of an organ or tissue and exerting a predetermined pressure thereon; third means for transmitting light from the first light source means to the transparent portion of the second contact means; fourth means for measuring reflected light from the organ or tissue to produce at least a pair of signals, a first signal representative of light reflected when substantially no pressure is exerted by the transparent portion and a second signal representative of light reflected when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the organ or tissue by the transparent portion including comparison means for providing a quantitative measurement of the two signals in such a format to permit subsequent comparison processing to determine the existence of an abnormality of an organ or tissue by a substantial similarity in detected reflected light energy; fifth means for transmitting the light reflected from the organ or tissue through the transparent portion to the fourth measuring means; sixth means for forcing the transparent portion against the surface of the organ or tissue at a predetermined pressure, and seventh means for detecting the predetermined pressure condition and correlating the resulting measurement by the fourth means. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of optically detecting an abnormality such as cancer at its incipient stage of growth in a body portion of an organ or tissue in vivo comprising the steps of;
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directing a first quantity of light energy at the body portion under diagnoses of such a wavelength that it is reflectable from the surface of the organ or tissue; detecting the intensity of first light energy reflection from the body portion; placing the body portion under a predetermined pressure; directing a second quantity of light energy at the body portion under diagnoses; detecting the intensity of second light energy reflection from the body portion under diagnoses, and comparing the first and second detected light energy reflection whereby a substantial similarity in detected intensity of light energy reflection indicates an abnormal condition in the body portion. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification